The Pierian Gallery presents…
The Second Annual Gingerbread Contest
Build it. Bring it. Show it off.
Join us for our annual celebration of creativity, craftsmanship, and Christmas spirit! Whether you’re a budding young builder or a seasoned gingerbread architect, we invite you to create your own gingerbread masterpiece and enter it into our Christmas competition.
There will be prizes, public voting, and a little friendly competition. Best of all, everyone who enters will receive a small thank-you gift from us!
- Drop-offDec 7–9
- Public votingDec 10–18
- JudgingDec 11–12
- Winners announcedDec 18
1.How to Enter
Participation is free and open to everyone.
To enter, simply bring your finished gingerbread creation into the gallery during the designated drop-off period. Please be sure to read the rules before starting.
Drop-off dates: December 7–9 (between 8AM–6PM)
Please ensure your creation is ready for display when you bring it in. Each entry will be assigned a number for judging and public voting.
2.Age Categories
There are three competition divisions:
- 12 years and under
- Ages 13–17
- Ages 18 and over
Participants will compete against others in their own age category.
*Parental assistance for kids is allowed, but if little Johnny comes in with a replica of the Empire State Building, we will have questions.*
3.The Rules
A few simple guidelines to keep things smooth:
- Be Creative: Your design can be traditional, whimsical, extravagant, or completely unconventional.
- Materials: Gingerbread houses may be built using edible and non-edible materials. However, we encourage participants to make their creations as edible as possible.
- Size: There are no specific size restrictions. Just make sure your creation can fit through a standard doorway!
- Originality: Entries should represent your own creative work.
- Ready for display: All creations must be fully assembled before drop-off.
- Identification: Applicants will fill out an info card upon delivery and will be asked to provide a phone number or email (and Instagram account if applicable).
4.Judging & Public Voting
There are two separate opportunities to win!
A. Official Judges’ Awards
Three selected judges will independently evaluate the entries between Friday and Saturday, December 11–12.
Each entry will be scored out of 60 points:
| Judging Category | Points |
|---|---|
| CreativityOriginality and imagination of the design | 20 |
| CraftsmanshipAttention to detail and quality of construction | 20 |
| FestivityAbility to capture the magic of Christmas | 20 |
| Total | 60 |
The highest overall score in each age category will be declared the winner.
Three winners will each receive a prize basket!
B. People’s Choice Awards
We also want the public to have a say!
From December 10–18, gallery visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite gingerbread house.
- Each voter will receive a candy cane for voting.
- Voters will select their favorite entry from each of the three age categories.
- People’s Choice winners will be determined by the number of public votes, independently of the judges’ scores.
Three People’s Choice winners will also receive smaller prizes!
Winners Announced
All six prizes (three official and three People’s Choice) will be announced on The Pierian’s Instagram & Facebook by the end of the day on Friday, December 18.
Winners will be contacted using the information they provided when dropping off their submission.